Protease-resistant neurotrophic peptide for the therapeutic treatment of neurodegenerative and/or skin diseases

Abstract

A protease-resistant neurotrophic peptide is provided. A pharmaceutical composition including the protease-resistant neurotrophic peptide in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, in combination with optional adjuvants, stabilizers and/or preservatives, is also provided.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An isolated peptide consisting of the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:3. 
     
     
       2. The isolated peptide according to  claim 1 , which is encoded by nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       3. An isolated nucleic acid sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       4. An expression vector comprising an isolated nucleic acid sequence according to  claim 3 . 
     
     
       5. A host cell comprising an expression vector according to  claim 4 . 
     
     
       6. A method for the preparation of a peptide, comprising the step of culturing a host cell according to  claim 5  under suitable conditions and for a time sufficient for the expression of the peptide and, optionally, a step of recovering the peptide from the culture. 
     
     
       7. A method of promoting neuronal differentiation and/or neuronal survival in a subject, said method comprising administering to the subject an isolated peptide according to  claim 1 , wherein the subject is affected by a neurodegenerative disease and/or an epithelial/disease. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the neurodegenerative disease is an acute or chronic neurodegenerative disease selected from the group consisting of ischemic or hemorrhagic brain stroke, traumatic brain injury, intracranial hypertension, cerebral edema, perinatal, pediatric or adult hypoxia/ischemia, cerebral palsy, hypoxia/ischemia caused by cardiac arrest, drowning or hypothermia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's Chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive supranuclear palsy, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy body disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS). 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the disease is an epithelial disease selected from the group consisting of diabetic pressure ulcers, peripheral neuropathic ulcers, pressure sores in patients with myelomeningocele (spina bifida), skin ulcers due to infectious diseases (leprosy, AIDS), traumatic or neurothrophic corneal ulcers (neurotrophic keratitis) and inflammatory chronic skin ulcers and vasculitis ulcers. 
     
     
       10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an isolated peptide according to  claim 1 , and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle, excipient and/or diluent. 
     
     
       11. The pharmaceutical composition according to  claim 10 , which is in a pharmaceutical form suitable for administration via the enteral, parenteral or topical route.